SEWER SYSTEMS… HOW DO THEY WORK?

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Sanitary sewer systems are critical to the U.S. economy and to
protecting public health and the environment. But because they’re hidden
from sight, few outside the water and wastewater industry understand
their operation. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates more than
151,000 public water systems in the United States that serve 90 percent
of Americans — that’s more than 290 million people who rely on sanitary
sewers.

These water systems extend roughly 800,000 miles and traverse rural
and urban towns and municipalities snaking under streets, sidewalks,
homes and businesses; approximately half are publicly owned, and half
are privately owned. It may be challenging to describe the complex path
that wastewater takes to people who are new or unfamiliar with sanitary
sewer systems, but understanding who is responsible for the maintenance,
repair and associated costs for each line is vital to operation and
public safety.

Used water from kitchen and bathroom sinks, showers, washing machines
and dishwashers is referred to as greywater; wastewater from toilets is
referred to as blackwater. Greywater is generally safer and easier to
treat compared to blackwater but regardless of the number of
contaminants, all the wastewater that goes down the pipe from homes and
businesses ultimately ends at the wastewater treatment plant to be
purified before being discharged back into the environment.

Property owners must be aware of the wastewater discharge from their
home or business because property owners are responsible for all of the
internal pipes in the building as well as the lateral clean-out and
sewer lateral lines. Lateral clean-outs can be found in yards, basements
and crawl spaces and provide easy access to the sewer lateral line.
Sewer laterals connect properties to the public sewer system. Plumbers
and drain cleaning professionals specialize in repairing and servicing
these smaller lines — everything from the sink to the sewer lateral.

After passing through the lateral lines, wastewater enters sewer main pipes and becomes the responsibility of the municipality or local public works department. These organizations are charged with ensuring the wastewater safely continues its journey through the various main lines and pump stations, to the treatment plant basin, through the treatment plant, and finally through outfalls back into the environment. The repair and servicing of any manholes, lifts, leaks or broken pipes along this journey falls to the local governing body.